After declining mutual option, the Reds should avoid reunion with this former pitcher

Wade Miley will be on the move again. The former Cincinnati Reds pitcher declined his $10-million mutual option with the Milwaukee Brewers on Friday, making him a free agent once again.

Most Reds fans will remember Miley as a steady presence in the starting rotation during the Reds 2021 season. On May 7, 2021, the southpaw recorded the Reds' first no-hitter since Homer Bailey did so in 2013.

Though the Reds are in the market for starting pitching this offseason, a reunion with the soon-to-be 37-year-old Miley should not be on the table.

After declining mutual option, the Reds should avoid reunion with Wade Miley

Wade Miley signed a two-year contract with the Cincinnati Reds prior to the 2020 season. Injuries robbed Miley of all but 14.1 innings during his first year in the Queen City.

However, Miley turned in a terrific performance the following year and was arguably the best pitcher on the Reds roster in 2021. Miley was then unceremoniously dumped during the offseason and picked up by the Chicago Cubs.

Miley had another injury-riddled campaign in 2022, but bounced back this past season after suiting up for the Milwaukee Brewers. Miley started 23 games, logged over 120 innings, and did what he always does - worked fast and kept the ball on the ground.

According to Baseball Savant, Miley was the fastest worker in the game with the bases empty. The left-hander took all of 5.3 seconds to deliver a pitch with no runners on base and 8.6 seconds with runners aboard.

And while the fast-working Miley can keep hitters off balance and keep the ball on the ground, the injuries have kept him off the bump more times than not in recent years. Miley missed time in 2023 with elbow discomfort and a back injury.

After watching so many Cincinnati Reds starters land on the injured list in 2023, the last thing this front office needs to do is bring in an aging starter with a history of IL stints.

Wade Miley could be a fantastic tutor to the young group of pitchers on the Reds roster, but expecting anything more than 80 innings out of the lefty in 2024 would be unwise. The Reds need innings-eaters more than veteran leadership.